Justin Heekeren will leave FC Schalke 04 until the end of the season. He is moving abroad on loan.
One week before the end of the transfer period, FC Schalke 04 has announced a departure. Goalkeeper Justin Heekeren is leaving the second division club on loan and moving to Belgium until the end of the season.
He joins Patro Eisden Maasmechelen, fourth in the second division. “Match practice is very important, especially for young goalkeepers,” says sporting director Marc Wilmots. “In view of the performance density in our goalkeeper team, we have jointly found a solution that should allow Justin more appearances until the summer. The experience of the coming months will certainly help Justin in his further development.”
Heekeren would have had little chance of playing time with the Royal Blues in the near future. In addition to the current number one, Marius Müller is also ahead of the 23-year-old in the pecking order, while veteran Michael Langer is also part of Schalke’s goalkeeping team.
Heekeren has stood between the posts in two second division games this season. These were his first two professional appearances since he was signed from regional league club Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the summer of 2022. Last year, a cruciate ligament rupture had slowed him down for months
There were already signs that the Xanten native would be leaving Gelsenkirchen this winter. “He often trained well and really impressed me. But with the return of Marius Müller, the situation is different, we have two good goalkeepers and Michael Langer behind him,” said coach Karel Geraerts at the press conference ahead of the away game at 1. FC Kaiserslautern (Friday, 6.30pm). “He also needs playing time and can then come back and fight for his place. I believe in his potential.”
Heekeren is the second departure of the current transfer window after Niklas Tauer (loan prematurely terminated). It is not expected to stay that way. Soichiro Kozuki is also said to be on the verge of a loan. Further details are available from our colleagues at WAZ.